WEBVTT JOINS US LIVE FROM SANTA CRUZWITH MORE.PHIL: ELEVEN OFFICERS HAVEVOLUNTEERED TO WEAR BODY CAMSDURING A MONTH LONG TRIAL PERIODIN THE CITY AND SUBURBAN AREAS.THIS IS THE FUTURE NOW FOR THESANTA CRUZ POLICEDEPARTMENT, BODY CAMERAS.BEFORE THEY HIT THE STREETSPOLICE ARE RECEIVING TRAINING.A HANDFUL OF OFFICERS AREWEARING THEM AS OF TODAY.>> IT IS A NEW TECHNOLOGY.I WOULD RATHER GET AHEAD OF ITAND BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WORKSAND MAYBE MAKE THE CHANGES WENEED.PHIL: THE AXON CAMERAS OFFER AWIDE FIELD OF VISION ANDAUTOMATICALLY BLOCK LOUD NOISESWHEN A CONVERSATION IS TAKINGPLACE.THE CAMERAS ATTACH TO THEUNIFORMS OFFICERS WEAR ON PATROL.AND CAN OFFER VISUAL EVIDENCE INENCOUNTERS BETWEEN THE POLICEAND THE PUBLIC.>> THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR US TOCAPTURE EVIDENCE.IF IT IS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THEOFFICERS, IT IS A GREAT WAY TOCAPTURE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED,ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WITNESS ORVICTIM AND SUSPECT STATEMENTS.TAKE PHOTOS AND STORE IT IN THESAME EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.PHIL: SHERYL LEE IS ON BOTH THECHIEFS REVIEW BOARD AND THEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THENATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTALILLNESS IN SANTA CRUZ. SHE BELIEVES BODY CAMERAS ARE AGOOD START TO BETTER PUBLICPERCEPTION.>> THE CAMERAS ARE NOT GOING TOTELL THE COMPLETE STORY.BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT., ARE ALSO IMPORTANT PIECES INTHE PUZZLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONSWHEN THINGS DON'T GO WELL.PHIL: POLICE WILL BE ASSESSINGTHE SYSTEM FOR A MONTH OR SO TODETERMINE WHETHER IT'S A GOODFIT FOR THE DEPARTMENT.IF IT'S A GOOD FIT, EXPECT TOSEE THE DEPARTMENT'S 85 SWORNOFFICERS AND ALSO THE COMMUNITYSERVICE OFFICERS TO BE EQUIPEDWITH THE BODY CAMS. ERIN: TRANSPARENCY DOESN'T COMECHEAP THOUGH.THE COST TO OUTFIT THE ENTIRESANTA CRUZ POLICE DEPARTMENTWITH BODY CAMERAS IS ESTIMATED

The Santa Cruz Police Department has launched a pilot program equipping their officers with body cams.

This is the first step towards eventually outfitting the entire department with technology that promises greater accountability for members of the police force.

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As part of the pilot program, eleven officers have volunteered to wear body cams during a month-long trial period in the city and suburban areas. A handful of officers are wearing them as of today.

"It's a new technology. It's coming either way I would rather get ahead of it and be able to kind of test it out on the field and see how it works," said Santa Cruz Police Officer Chris Galli.

The AXON cameras offer a wide field of vision and automatically block loud noises when a conversation is taking place.

"So if there's loud noise in the background or something like that it's going to pick up the human interaction so it focuses on the human person," said AXON Regional Sales Representative Bob Dillon.

The cameras attach to the uniforms officers wear on patrol, and can offer visual evidence in encounters between the police and the public.

"It's a good way to capture what really happened all the way down to witness, victim and suspect statements to take photos and the same evidence system," said Santa Cruz Police Lieutenant Bernie Escalante.

Sheryl Lee is Executive Director of the National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) in Santa Cruz and also serves on the Chiefs Review Board.

She said she believes body cameras are a good start towards fostering better public perception of the police.

Lee said that since the cameras “still aren't going to tell the complete story,” it is still important to build positive relationships between NAMI, county mental health, and the police department.

Police will be assessing the system for a month or so to determine whether it's a good fit for the department.

If it's a good fit, expect to see the department's community service officers and 85 sworn officers and equipped with the body cams.

However, transparency comes at a price.

The cost to outfit the entire Santa Cruz Police Department with body cameras is estimated at $390,000.

Phil Gomez

As part of a pilot program, eleven Santa Cruz police officers have volunteered to wear body cams.